


simple, but effective

by scarsandstories



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Ian loves romance, M/M, and Nicholas Sparks quotes, mickey woos him with gifts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 17:31:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4796150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarsandstories/pseuds/scarsandstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ian thinks romance is dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	simple, but effective

**Author's Note:**

> i really felt bad for writing a gallavich fic w no happy ending bc i think mickey and ian deserve happiness with each other so hey this is fluff
> 
> this is still gonna be. Not so great because english isnt my first language but it's happy ending so yeah!!!
> 
> this is for polly who cries over gallavich with me everyday x

ian loves romance. he's read every single nicholas sparks novel and watched every film that was based on his books. 

 

ian never expected to be friends with a milkovich. well, mandy is great and they talk about boys a lot but being friends with mickey milkovich? he never saw that coming. mickey is a  _thug,_ he's got 'FUCK U UP' tattooed on his knuckles and ian is such a softie who cries over  _the notebook._ he still has no idea why he's been friends with mickey milkovich for three years. mickey can be an asshole sometimes but that's just because he's protective. overall, he's great. _  
_

ian still couldn't believe that they're friends but, here they are, in the living room of the gallaghers, watching  _a walk to remember_ for the millionth time.

"don't you ever get tired of this film?"

"are you complaining?"

"no," mickey says, furrowing his eyebrows. "jesus, no. i was just asking a question."

"i don't get tired of it because romance is dead in real life."

"okay, but jamie sullivan dies, though." ian smacks mickey's arm. " _okay, okay._ so, how is romance dead in real life?" mickey is interested in hearing ian answer this question because he's read a lot of romance novels and he's sappy as fuck.

"listen, mick. people don't even take others they're- i honestly don't know how to describe it. because they don't date anymore before they fuck. and they don't fuck on the first date, either. they just  _bang._ and some men go to strip clubs to have sex even though they're married just because they  _want to._ it's so fucked up, this world we live in. where's the romance in that? you gonna cheat on your wife just because you want to fuck somebody else? i _hate_ it. where's the romance? where's the hearts and flowers? they don't even bother to keep their love alive anymore."

"mmm, continue. i'm listening."

"come on, i'm not asking people to buy the person they love a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates everyday... a nice note every single day would make me happy."

 --

 

**three weeks later**

 

fiona is shouting, "IAN, THERE'S SOMETHING FOR YOU!" while she's at the door.

ian is walking towards fiona when he asks, "what is it?"

"flowers," fiona answers and there's teasing in her tone. ian tries to ignore it.

fiona hands ian the flowers- the bouquet of red roses. ian reads the note.

 

_"You are, and always have been, my dream." -N.S., The Notebook_

 

"do you know where it came from?" ian asks.

"nah, i just saw them when i came home from vee's."

"oh, that's... okay."

"i guess someone's trying to prove to you that romance isn't dead," fiona whispers. she smirks and walks away.

 

\--

 

two days later, debbie is barging into his and lip's room and there's a heart shaped box in her hands. with a small paper on top of it.

oh, god.

"why is someone courting you and i get to be miserable forever?"

debbie hands ian the heart shaped box and sits beside him. there's not a note, again, but this time it's not from a nicholas sparks novel.

 

_I hope you smiled and had a great day today._

 

ian sighs. "i don't even know who it's coming from, debs," ian says.

"a secret admirer, then?"

"well..." ian cranes his neck. "something like that, yeah."

debbie is still frowning. "i'm jealous. can i have some chocolate?"

"sure."

 

\--

 

one day later, there are lots of envelopes on the floor. bills, letters from carl and debbie's school, frank's credit card bills- why the fuck does frank have a credit card?- and there's an envelop with a neat 'ian' written on it.

 

_Look, romance is really not_ dead.  _It just depends on the person if they want to be romantic or not. And that's great, if they don't want to be, but there's a problem on that. If you wanted to keep romance alive, you're going to have to do_ something.  _And I'm really not a romantic, I'm really not. I don't do hearts and flowers and that shit, but I had to try for you, didn't I?_

 

ian runs a hand through his hair and mutters, "fuck."

 

\--

 

if he doesn't get a bouquet, he gets a rose or a note a day. three days since the letter ian read, there's a package for him and he had to sign the paper the deliveryman handed him so he gets the package. gladly, no one is home except for liam and nobody could tease him so he opens it in the living room and sits beside his little brother.

"hey, little man," ian says, giving liam a kiss on his hair.

"what's that?" liam asks, pointing at the package.

"well, i don't know yet so we're gonna open it."

it's a fucking physical copy of nicholas sparks'  _a walk to remember_ novel and it's signed by the author. this person knows that ian was able to read it because he illegally downloaded it on the internet since he didn't have enough money to buy the actual book. this person making this kind of  _effort_ knows that ian thinks romance is dead, and they know that ian doesn't have a physical copy of his favorite book because he didn't have enough money. and the problem is, ian couldn't think of a specific person who might be doing this since  _everyone_ knows ian's obsession with nicholas sparks' novels and that he's never legally bought a book. does borrowing one from a library and never giving it back count?

 

\--

 

everytime ian is with mickey, he wants to tell him about the gifts he's been receiving but he's terrified that mickey might just laugh at his face.

"spill it, gallagher," mickey says.

"what?"

"you've been wanting to say something for so long and i'm just  _waiting_ but you're keeping your mouth shut. stop hesitating, just fucking say it."

"ummm-"

"ian."

"so, someone's like- trying to woo me."

"is it working?" ian punches mickey's arm. "ow! what the fuck?"

ian frowns, "this is why i didn't want to tell you. you're not taking me seriously."

"i am,  _serious,_ princess. stop being dramatic. i only asked a question."

"i guess? god, mick, they gave me a physical copy of a walk to remember and it's  _signed,_ " ian gushes.

"good for you."

 

**

 

later that night, ian tells lip, "i like mickey."

lip has an unlit cigarette between his lips and only responds with a nod.

"you're only just going to nod? like it isn't a big deal?"

"it's not a big deal, because i already know it."

"how did you know?"

"it's obvious, ian," lip says like it's not a big deal. ian didn't know he was  _that_ obvious. fuck. "have you told him?"

"i... i think he knows?"

"how?"

"like... i've sent signals about it?"

" _jesus,_ mickey is fucking oblivious about what's in front of his face. he doesn't know until you write it on paper and make him read it."

ian groans. "how do i tell him? he's scary and he probably doesn't even  _like_ me. and i've told him about the gifts and notes someone has been giving me."

"did he look jealous?"

"no."

lip shakes his head and blows a smoke. "you're both dumb," he says and he walks out of the room.

"as if that's news," ian replies. after a split second, he shouts, "what. both dumb?" WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

 

**

 

ian decides that this is going to be the day where he tells mickey how he feels. it's been going on for quite a long time and he needs to get it off his chest. he's not expecting that mickey feels the same because why would mickey like someone like  _ian?_ they're both too different. if mickey doesn't want to be friends with ian anymore after he tells him how he really feels, then that's alright. he'll be heartbroken because he lost a friend because of his stupid feelings but he has no choice but to get over it.

 

ian and mickey are silently sitting next to each other in ian's room and it's so  _awkward._ ian feels like he's going to explode.

"i like you," ian blurts out.

"really?"

"yeah."

"okay."

"'okay?' that's it? you're not going to punch me or something?"

mickey laughs. "no. why the fuck would you even think that?"

"because," ian says. "i. fuck, i like you and you're my best friend?"

mickey starts laughing really loud. "lip is right,  _you're_ fucking dumb. dumb and oblivious. you're worse than me, at least i've grown out of that."

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"i like you too, you fucking  _idiot._ isn't it why i have been pestering mandy's rich classmate to give me her signed copy of  _a walk to remember,_ you dumbass."

"oh my fucking god."

"yes, i'm in  _love_ with you, you idiot. now shut the fuck up and let me kiss you."

ian laughs as mickey touches his face and kisses him. "i can't believe it."

"you know, i was going to be romantic and quote the notebook but you ruined  _my_ moment. did you know that i practiced how many days just so i would be able to say it in front of your face?"

"okay, okay. what are you going to say?"

"'we fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created.'"

"oh my god," ian gasps and he's almost genuinely crying because mickey loves him so much to quote nicholas sparks for him. "isn't that too presumptuous of you to say that  _we're_ in love?"

"oh, fuck you, i was quoting nicholas sparks. i don't love you."

"okay, stop, i love you too, jesus. i was just making-"

"just shut the fuck up and kiss me, ian."

so he does.

**Author's Note:**

> ummm yeah that's it thanks harry styles for the title


End file.
